Sands of Aranoch
by Hikako
Summary: Follow the adventures of six unlikely companions as they try to fight the hordes of the coming darkness, and try to keep from killing one another.
1. Saber Cats and Skeletons

Disclaimer: I don't own Diablo II

Sands of Aranoch  
by Hikako

Chapter One - Saber Cats and Skeletons

Morgaine leaped over the sand dune as a Saber Cat threw another exploding potion at her retreating back. She didn't know what was worse, being lost in a desert, having twenty Saber Cats behind her, or the two dozen or so Leapers in front of her. She cursed the Prime Evils in her mind as she drank one of her mana potions. 

Morgaine's caravan had been on route to Lut Gholein and after that, Kurast, but the Leaper horde, driven to insanity by hunger and drought, had attacked the almost defenseless caravan. The Saber Cats had also attacked the caravan but for the priceless treasures that it carried from the West; gold, metals, and food. The caravan didn't stand a chance and the Saber Cats and Leapers took it in under an hour. 

Morgaine had barely escaped by the skin off her teeth. A few Blaze spells and a Fireball managed to create a hole she could slip out. However, the Saber Cats had already slipped back to their lair, which was in the direction that Morgaine had taken, and the hunger-crazed Leapers followed her trail. That lead to her present predicament. She had used almost every once of mana she had and still there was thirty or more demons to kill. The Salamander, the battle staff in her hand, hummed with the thrill of battle. 

Three Leapers crested the dune opposite the Sorceress and she unleashed three Firebolts that left nothing but three charred skeletons. Morgaine heard the hiss of sand shifting above her and brought her staff to bear, just as a Saber Cat leaped at her and would have cleaved her skull in two with its spear. Morgaine felt her arm almost buckle under the force of the blow but she swiftly swung the staff in a circular movement that knocked the spear from the demon's hold and sent it spiralling off into the sky. Another swing of her staff sent the Saber Cat's head to an 180 degree angle. 

Morgaine grasped her staff as she prepared for another enemy, instead she heard the sounds of fighting coming from over the dunes. She crept up the sand and peered over, and the scene that greeted her caused her eyebrows to rise. There was an enormous man, about seven feet tall, and he looked like he was all muscle, he was swinging two axes and chopping up the Saber Cats. Beside him stood a woman with blonde hair and a bow and arrows and she was shotting the few Saber Cats that escaped the man's axes. 

Turning around Morgaine was even more surprised. A man, probably a knight or something, was swinging a huge broadsword and slicing Leapers in half. Another woman stood next to him and was fending off several Leapers with what looked like traps of some kind and a several moves of a fighting style that Morgaine couldn't place. 

Morgaine waited until they had finished before coming out of her hiding place. The four warriors ran to meet her and as they got closer Morgaine could see that the knight looked like he came from Kehjistan and he wore full body armor. The hulking man was covered in chainmail and fur and the women looked like they were wearing scale mail. The first one to reach Morgaine was the hulking man, who towered over Morgaine, and he was covered with tattoos. 

"Who are you?" he said, his voice was like a boulder crashing down a mountain, and he held his axe in front of him as if he expected her to attack. "Who are you?" he repeated as the other three arrived. The blonde woman had drawn an arrow and was pointing it at Morgaine, while the other woman gripped her dagger in her hand and eyed the Sorceress, and the knight held his sword at ready. 

Undaunted Morgaine stood up to her full height, not very impressive since even the woman with the dagger was taller than her, but she raised her head and spoke in a voice that disguised more panic than calm. "I am Morgaine Lafanay of the Zann Esu. Emissary of her Excellency Laurana DeRowan, Mistress of Castle Cranda." At the end of her statement the knight visibly relaxed and lowered his sword. 

"I am-" he began before he was interrupted by the bulky warrior with tattoos, "How do we know that? _I_ have never heard of Castle Cranda, how do we know it isn't a demon stronghold, huh?" With that the knight raised his sword again and looked like he would strike Morgaine down then and there. Instead, the blonde woman, who spoke in a voice that reminded Morgaine of running brooks, said to the other woman, "Anasta? Can you see into her?" 

The other woman, Anasta, stepped forward and leveled her gaze at Morgaine. Morgaine felt her knees go weak as she stared as hard as she could into the deep golden eyes that told Morgaine if she had any darkness in her that she was dead. Luckily her knees held and Anasta turned away, and in a dry voice said, "She is a clean as a virgin of Zakarum." This gained a chuckle from the large man and a glare from the knight. 

The large man put down his axe and stuck out his hamfist, and in his gravelly voice said, "Auden, son of Thurden, of the Wolf Clan." And with that he shook Morgaine's hand so hard she felt it in her bones. The two women came forward and with a salute from the blonde and a head nod from the other Morgaine soon learned they were Hipponia of Lycander and Anasta of Ureh. Finally the knight came forward and, to Morgaine's surprise, put his sword in front of him and bent to one knee. "I, m'lady, am Gawane iban Fatiman. Paladin of the Order of Zakarum and servant of the High Heavens, Protector of the Word-" 

His long introduction was cut short by Auden, "C'mon Gawane! We don't have all day to listen to you list your titles." Gawane rose to his feet his face slightly flushed as he realized he had been babbling on. Morgaine smiled at him, taken in by his boorish charm. 

After a few minutes rest the five companions went to catch up with the caravan they had come on. "We were only a few days behind you," Auden the Barbarian said as he trodded along beside her, "We saw your caravan was being attacked and instead of helping you the caravan-master just went around! He said they would be so busy with you that he could slip by unnoticed!" Auden let out a disgusted grunt as he continued. "In my homeland he would've been labelled a coward and dishonorable." 

Finally night crept over the sand dunes and the company stopped for the night. Morgaine made a fire burn as Anasta pulled some food from her packs. As they sat around the campfire the four told Morgaine stories about themselves. 

Auden, a proud and mighty warrior of the Wolf Clan, was to become chieftain of his home, far in the frozen North. However, a rival tribe had raided their home and killed almost everyone in the village, including his new wife. In a murderous rage Auden crept into the enemy camp and slaughtered their warriors in their sleep. Now he was travelling, trying to redeem himself in hopes he could join the Ancients. Morgaine didn't understand what the Ancients were but she assumed they were ancestors of his or something. 

Anasta, a trained Assassin, was sent out into the world to hunt down corrupted mages and destroy the demonic hold on many mages. Her hunt led her to Tristram, the Monastery of the Sightless Eye, and now to Lut Gholein. She said that she had learned all her moves, Shadow Arts and how to make traps from a head assassin that was supposed to be legendary. 

Hipponia was a warrior-chief of Lycander Isle and had, on accident, killed a child during a hunt in the deep forests of her home. Instead of the customary sentence of death, the King had sentenced her to exile on the continents and now she was just making her way to Lut Gholein because she believed that there she could find someone who could take her to Kehjistan. There she hoped to join the few Amazon tribes that lived there. 

Finally, Gawane told Morgaine of his holy mission to rid the world of demons and help all people see the Light. Gawane even tried to get Morgaine to participate in evening prayer. She politely declined but thanked him for offering. However, that didn't stop him from trying and he seemed to try to get the other three involved as well. Anasta merely smiled and began her meditation and Auden just sang a short chant before going to sleep. 

The next morning they each divided up the water they had left and put it into seperate canteens. When everyone had some breakfast they headed out, Gawane in the leader followed by Anasta and Hipponia, with Morgaine and Auden bringing up the rear. Soon midday arrived and they hadn't spotted the caravan yet. Auden was beginning to get irritated. 

"We couldn't be that far behind the caravan, could we?" he huffed out to Gawane as he trodded along. Gawane had a frown on his face when he called a halt to the running. He looked out across the sand dunes and shook his head, "No. We were only a few hours behind the caravan, maybe." His sharp brown eyes scanned the horizon. Pointing at several dark masses circling in the distance he said, "Maybe, something happened to it." 

At that the small group began to run, double time, towards the circling masses in the sky. As they drew closer, Morgaine saw Anasta unsheath her dagger, Hipponia knoch an arrow in her bow, and Auden grip his axe. Morgaine, in anticipation of the coming trouble, pulled the staff from her pack and held it firmly in both hands. 

Instead of finding a destroyed caravan they found a strange rock. It was large, larger than a house, and it looked black like a starless night. Surronding it were several skeletons that patrolled the rock and sand dunes surronding it in packs of three, and three skeletons, with strange glowing hands, stood on top of the rock. Gawane immediately stepped forward and was greeted by several arrows from the skeletons patrolling the rock. 

Auden let out a loud war-cry and charged into the skeleton patrols with both axes swinging. Several skeletons fell to his axes as over three more patrols came charging from the rock. Hipponia stood atop the sand dune and fired into the horde and skeleton after skeleton fell to her arrows. Anasta, dagger grasped in her hand, began to take down the few skeletons that tarried on the left flank. 

Morgaine watched as the four attacked with speed and organization that most armies dreamed of. However, as she watched she noticed more skeletons coming and Auden and Gawane were in deep trouble. In a soft whisper Morgaine cast a Frozen Nova that caused several skeletons to freeze and soon be shattered by Auden's axe or Gawane's sword. 

For nearly the rest of the day the quintet fought until dawn when the last remnants of the undead were done and all that was left were the three undead with the glowing hands. The five companions, weary and wounded, approached the skeletons and the three undead made their way down the rock. Soon the eight stood there, at the base of the rock, ready to die, again in some cases. The skeletons raised their hands and the glow began to get brighter. The five humans braced themselves and prepared to attack. 

"STOP!" rang out from the rock and immediately the glow around the skeletons hands subsided and the three undead put their arms down. The five companions looked up, to the top of the rock, and there stood a figure robed in black with a large skull for a mask. In his left hand the figure had a curved sword, like a scimitar, and in his right was a wand with two blue feathers attached to it. 

"Put down your weapons!" the figure spoke to the five adventurers, "The earth you trample on is holy." Morgaine and the others glared at the figure but slowly lowered their weapons to the ground. The three skeletons began to make their back up the rock and to the positions they held before. The figure moved down the rock to the five, moving like a shadow on the ground. When he stood in front of them he spoke, in an eerily hollow voice. 

"Who are you, and why are you attacking my minions?" the figure in black said. He stood a good six feet high and his black robe couldn't hide the armor under it, the scimitar in his hand had a pale green tint to it, and his skull-mask showed nothing of his face. Gawane was the first to find his tongue. "I am Sir Gawane of Kurast. A paladin of the holy order." He stare straight into the eyesockets of the mask and spoke again. "And if these are your minions then you are an enemy of the Light!" He held his sword up high and looked like a statue of some fallen hero. 

"My minions would never attack unless _you_ attacked _them_." the figure stepped forward and stood face to face with Gawane, and in a sneer that spoke volumes of hatred said, "_Paladin_." With that he tore the mask from his face and his dark robe fell open to reveal armor that looked like bone but reflected light like metal. His face was pale, but healthy looking, he had no beard and his hair, white like snow, rolled down his back into a ponytail. What struck Morgaine was his eyes, emerald green, so green they defined green and they held nothing but contempt for the adventurers in front of him. 

"I am Death-master Lothose, and this is my home." With that skeletons, ten twenty even fifty or more, popped out of the sand and surronded the quintet. "Tell me your mission, or I assure you, you will be here a lot longer than half a day." 

To Be Continued... 


	2. Skeletons and Sand Fires

Disclaimer: I don't own Diablo II 

Sands of Aranoch   
by Hikako 

Chapter Two - Skeletons and Sand Fires 

The tension hung thick in the air, like oil, so thick you could literally cut it. And there were enough swords around to do just that. Not only the air but the five humans who stood in the middle. The Necromancer Lothose stood in the center of the horde of skeletons, each bearing a shield with three green drops of liquid on the face. The Death Mage stared at the quintet of adventurers with his piercing green eyes. 

"I will ask you one more time." he said, "Tell me why you are here, why you attacked my minions, and if your answers are sane enough I will let you go." Lothose's voice was like ice sliding across ice, but only colder, as his armor glistened in the waning sunlight and his sword held in his left hand ready to attack. Morgaine was the first to find her voice. 

"W-w-we a-are going to Lut Gholein." she stuttered as Lothose turned his gaze on her, "We hope to help them with their current problems." She swallowed as her throat closed itself under the Necromancer's stare. She was once told that to stare a Death Mage in the eye was to see your own death, and Morgaine realized her death would be several skeletons turning her into stripes. 

"Aw." Lothose said, turning his eyes from the Sorceress to Gawane, the Zakarum paladin. A small smile played on his features, "Trying to play _hero_ again, Gawane." Lothose snickered at his own private joke. "You tryed that one already, and we all know how that turned out, don't we." The emeralds that were his eyes flickered across the features of the other four adventurers. "Or maybe _we_ don't!" 

Gawane, in a flash, dropped his sword and hurled himself at Lothose, only to be stopped by three skeletons. Gawane's metal gauntlets were only inches away from Lothose's throat. Gawane struggled to grasp the Necromancer's throat but the skeletons finally pushed him back to the circle around his friends. Lothose meerly chuckled as he saw this display of futile strength. 

"So you are going to Lut Gholein?" Lothose asked redundantly, "I hear they have quite the problem with a mummy in their sewers." He began to pace around the group, staying just out of reach, as if daring them to try to kill him. His sword and hands were clasped behind his back as if he was just going for a Sune's Day walk. Morgaine couldn't, for all the life in her body, take her eyes from him. It wasn't just the fact that he held her life in his gloved hands that drew her eyes. His body, though hard to see, was obviously toned and well muscled but slimmer than Auden and Gawane. 

"What are you looking at, Sorceress?" he asked in his all-encompassing contempt voice. "Like seeing a man who holds life and death in his hands? Or maybe some other reason?" A cocky little grin, that Morgaine would've loved to whip off his face, played on his features. The grin told her he could read her as if she had blurted what she was thinking about in a yell. 

"Leave her alone, you bastard!" Gawane said his hands clenching into fists. His eyes burned with a hatred that frightened, and fascinated, Morgaine. What had Lothose done that had so angered Gawane, she didn't know that Paladins could hate that fiercely. But what bothered her the most was what Lothose had meant when he said, 'trying to play hero again' and 'we all know how that turned out.' Was there something in Gawane's past that he hadn't told them, or something he was ashamed of? Morgaine didn't know and her thoughts were interrupted by Lothose's bitter-sweet voice again. 

"If you want my advice," Lothose cast a sidelong glance at Gawane, "It would be to avoid Lut Gholein. There is hardly any gold in the city, or food and water for that matter." He stopped his pacing and stared off to the north with a suspicious look. "Only death." he finished in a low voice that the quintet could barely hear. 

"Thanks for the advice." Auden said in his rocky voice, "We'll be sure to take it under advisement." His face was like a stone, completely unreadable, and he stood straight as a pole. His head, however, was bent slightly, like he was trying to hear something to the north of the group. Lothose hardly noticed Auden answer as he continued to stare to the north as if there was something there just out of his sight. 

Auden's face suddenly went slack and his jaw dropped. He pulled his other axe out of its holster and gripped both of his blades in his hamfists. Lothose's eyes, around the same time, went so wide Morgaine could see the whites. With only a head nod he sent a skeleton into the rock, only to return a few moments later with a shield that looked like it was made from human heads. With little more than a snap of his fingers the skeletons, which had been surronding the adventurers, formed into tightly fitting ranks. 

"What is it Auden?" Gawane asked as his eyes darted from the north to Auden, and his hands held his sword at ready. Auden whispered, "Demons. A lot of demons." Anasta pulled a second dagger from the one she was holding out of her boot, while Hipponia knoched an arrow into her bow. 

The rock, situated in a basin no deep than a man, blocked the sun from the eyes of the defending humans. The skeletons under the control of Lothose didn't even move as the demons lined up along the northern ridge. Morgaine couldn't see all of the demons of the horde, a large mass of teeth and claws, but she saw that a large chunk of them Saber Cats. 

"You killed a couple of Saber Cats, didn't you." Lothose said as he pulled a shield that looked like it was made of skulls from behind his cloak. "Saber Cats are vindictive animals, who will track something for days if they feel they have a debt to repay." Morgaine held her staff so tightly she felt her palms go numb and her knees felt like they were going to pop right out of her legs. "Looks like they recruited some Sand Raiders. No doubt from the nest I've been trying to extinguish for two days." 

Morgaine looked at Auden and the others they each held a grim look on their faces as the number of demons began to grow. She heard Gawane whisper a prayer and soon a glowing aura surronded him and all of their group, except for Lothose. She didn't know what it was, but it made her feel braver, and more battle ready. She soon began to plan what spells she would use; Fireball, Blaze, and Frozen Nova were her best spells. 

Lothose spit upon the ground and whispered something that sounded like a couple of snake hisses and a few soudns like someone being choked to death. The small piece of mud Lothose's spit caused soon grew immense and finally drew itself up into the shape of a man. The mud-man was nearly as tall as Auden, but he was far more bulkier, one of his fists large enough to crush Morgaine's skull. 

A horn issued from the horde north of the rock and suddenly the huge mass of demon flesh flew down the basin towards the undead army. Morgaine felt her muscles tighten like rope, as she stood like a cat ready to pounce. The horde came closer and closer, by now Morgaine could hear the clinking of metal and grunts. 

A sound, like thunder, issued as the two armies collided. Several skeletons were shattered almost immediately, likewise several demons found spears sticking in their chests. One moment Morgaine knew where everyone was, even Lothose, then less than a split second later all she saw were demons and skeletons. 

She didn't have long to think as a Saber Cat appeared and threw an potion at her feet. Before the potion exploded Morgaine tucked her legs under her and rolled towards the left. After the sands stopped flying by Morgaine came back up with her staff at ready. Not a moment too soon, as the Saber Cat stabbed at the Sorceress with her spear and barely missed as it went right between Morgaine's arm and her chest. Before the Saber Cat could do anything Morgaine brought her staff hard against its side, a sharp snap told Morgaine a rib was broken. 

Before the Saber Cat could recover Morgaine leaped forward and buried her shoulder into the Saber Cat's gut. It stumbled back a few feet, straight into the oncoming blades of a Sand Raider, and cut into four different parts. The skeleton, to whom the blades were aimed at, took the opportunity to stab the Sand Raider in the head with its spear. 

Morgaine looked around and saw that all the demons were now surronding the pit, fighting the skeletons and the few members of the group Morgaine could see. In an instance, inspiration struck Morgaine and whispered the words to a Blaze spell. Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth Morgaine felt warmth underneath her souls, two small fires burned at her heels, and her legs felt like she could run to the moon and back. 

Morgaine took off and headed toward the ridge that ringed the basin, leaving a trail of fire in her wake and killing several demons. She watched as the battling forces flashed past her, catching only one or two scenes of skeletons and demons locked in a struggle. Based on the ferocious fighting she was seeing, Morgaine hoped they'd all make it out of this battle alive. 

As she arrived on the ridge Morgaine looked out at the endless sand dunes that was Aranoch, from the ridge she could see no other beings; demonic, humaniod, or undead. She sighed a breath of relief, maybe she could survive her plan. With that thought in her mind, she began to run again, and as it had before the sand lit like a candle and the roaring blaze grewing higher and higher, until it was at least ten feet tall. 

Morgaine didn't stop, except when she had to renew the spell and once when she ran out of mana. She continue running along the steep ridge that lead into the basin, until a ten foot tall wall of flame encircled the small valley. Down by the rock the battle raged unstoppable, however there were clearly some battle lines now. The demons held the northern half of the basin and the skeletons, with Lothose and the others at the front, held the rock and the rest of the basin. 

Nodding her head in satisfaction Morgaine ran to the northern most part of the basin, where the fire rage so hot that it leaped out into the air like great jets of oil were shotting from the ground. Morgaine stared at the backs of the remaining demons, who were putting up quite a fight, before she began to hurl her spells. Frozen Nova shot across the space between Morgaine and the demons, followed by several Fireballs. 

This, combined with the frontal attack lead by the Necromancer, made the demons' moral drop and soon their lines broke and they scattered towards the ridge. The few who were brave enough tried to jump the flames, only to be consumed on their way down. The others were killed off by the skeletons. 

Finally the battle was over and Morgaine let the fire die down. Just as the sun sank beneath the dunes. The whole desert was basked in the glow of sunset. Morgaine smiled and looked down at her friends. Auden looked like he was ready to drop, but a big boorish grin was on his face, Hipponia and Anasta stood side by side and laughed as their arms dropped. 

Morgaine stopped smiling when she saw Gawane, being supported by Lothose and half of his plate armor burned off along with much of his hair. His face looked awful with blisters and blood running out of everywhere. Morgaine looked at her friend as he turned one deep brown eye at her and soon after closed it. 

Never to open it again. 

To be continued... 


	3. Potions and Healing

Disclaimer: I don't own Diablo II 

Sands of Aranoch   
by Hikako 

Chapter Three - Potions and Healing 

Morgaine followed Lothose and Auden as they hauled Gawane into the Necromancer's lair. Soon after the battle Gawane collasped and wouldn't wake up, even after they gave him the few remaining healing potions they had left. Morgaine, Anasta, and Hipponia did all they could to help Auden and Lothose but there was little, if anything, they could have done to help Gawane. 

The 'lair' of Lothose wasn't what Morgaine had expected. Cold, clammy, and dark were the words that immediately came to mind; cave, grave, and tombs were the words that followed. However, when Lothose opened the door to his home none of these described the inside of the rock. 

Surprisingly, the home of Lothose was very bright and welcoming. The floor was hard, polished, wood with several blue Kehjistan carpets and cushioned furniture. The walls were lined with ancient tomes with several torches hanging in almost random places. Morgaine would've taken more in if her main concern had been the furnishings of a necromancer, instead it had lain with the Paladin Gawane. 

The room Lothose and Auden carried Gawane into was small, about five by ten feet, and the walls had numerous shelves with potions of every color. The table in the center of the room was covered with books, half-finished documents, and several potions, which was cleared away with a sweep of Lothose's arm. On the table they laid the dying paladin, his occasional moan the only proof he was still alive. 

Lothose went to the far corner of the room and opened a wooden chest with a single whispered word. Gathering several potions he walked over to the table Gawane lay upon and began to sort through the potions. Auden stood by, worry and grief apparent on his face, with Anasta and Hipponia standing by the door. Morgaine stood at the head to the table and looked down at the burnt body of her friend. 

"This should counter-attack the poison that Raider had on his sword." Lothose said as he uncorked a small vial of black liquid, with a tiny skull as the cork. With Morgaine's help Lothose was able to pour the liquid down Gawane's throat. Morgaine felt a cold shiver run up her spin as Gawane coughed lightly from swallowing. Lothose then picked up several more potions. 

"These healing potions, plus the ones we gave him earlier should help with the burns." Lothose said as several red liquids followed the counter-poison. Lothose's voice became low as he talked to Morgaine only. "The potions won't do much if he dies before they can work." Lothose said, "He needs a rejuvination potion to keep him alive long enough to let the healing potions work... maybe more than what I have." Lothose slowly slipped the last potion he had on the table, a small vial of dark purplish liquid, down Gawane's throat. 

With that Lothose began to prode and poke at Gawane's burns. All along his arm Lothose slim fingers pushed slightly in the dying flesh, producing small groans and moans from Gawane. "Good." Lothose said as he finished, "If he can feel the pain then he might not have to lose his arm." Auden's head shot up quickly and in his deep baritone voice he asked, "What about his eye?" 

This caused Morgaine to look at what her eyes had been avoiding. The horrible burns that ran up Gawane's face and across his left eye where it was clear that what remained wasn't much. Lothose's face became sorrowful and slack. In a dead voice that betrayed no emotion he replied, "I can heal it so that he won't have to wear a patch, I can stretch some skin across it, but he will not be able to use his left eye." 

With that Lothose shooed Morgaine and the others, except for Auden, out of the side room. To Auden he gave instruction to awake him the moment Gawane regained consciousness. Morgaine and the others went once again to the main room, where each slumped into a chair and began to strip their armor off. Lothose seemed to be struggling to get to one of the leather straps that held the skeletal armor on. Morgaine got up to help him. 

"Here, let me help." she said as she knelt by the cushion chair he sat on. Morgaine pushed the dark cloak, which had become torn and tattered in the battle, to the other side of Lothose's body and she began to undo the strap. Lothose grunted slightly as he lifted his arm up to allow her better access to the strap. As her tired fingers tried to undo the metal buckle that would part the armor. 

"Why..." Morgaine tried to ask as her finger began to become stiff while the buckle refused to come loose, "Why are you helping us?" She finally got out, she kept her eyes firmly on the task at hand refusing to look Lothose in the eye. "I-i mean, uh, you were ready to, um, kill us... less than, uh, three hours ago." In her mind Morgaine to curse herself for loss of calm. If there was one thing she wanted it was calm when dealing with a necromancer. 

The Death-mage didn't answer her immediately instead he took several deep breaths and finally, in a low voice only she could hear, replied. "It was the middle of the battle, and my skeletons were losing badly against the Sand Raiders and Saber Cats. My mana was drained and I was barely able to keep the blades of the Raiders from piercing my hide in twenty different places." He stopped and waited a few moments before continuing. 

"I was almost going to die," he continued on, "A Sand Raider was about to drive a sword straight through my heart. When, out of nowhere, I see the paladin swinging his sword and hacking away at the Sand Raider. Literally cutting it to ribbons." Morgaine had stopped working on the buckle and was starring at Lothose's pale face as his eyebrows knitted. "He saved my life. Probably everyone's life, and the Code of Rathma says I am to repay that debt for the rest of my life... So it looks like I'll be going to Lut Gholein." 

As if some greater power wanted to play a joke on the two magic wielders, the strap that held the bone armor on came undone without any prompting. The armor slipped forward and would've crashed to the floor but Morgaine's hands shot out to catch it and Lothose reacted instantly. Morgaine leaned forward and grabbed the edge of the armor, and Lothose twisted to his left hand could grab the armor as well. This resulted in Morgaine's and Lothose's face being less than two inches away from one another. 

Time seemed to stop as the two simple stared at one another, oblivious to the world, Morgaine's chocolate brown eyes looked deep into the emerald green of Lothose. Morgaine felt she was drowning in the green sea of his eyes and Lothose could barely keep a thought in his head beside her. Morgaine felt herself drawing nearer and nearer to him and Lothose turned his head slightly ready to kiss her. 

A loud thud awoke them from their daydreams. 

Morgaine and Lothose looked over where the thud came from and realized that Hipponia had just dropped her chainmail. Neither Hipponia nor Anasta were paying any attention to the two across the room. Hipponia was slowly reaching for the sky, trying to iron out her muscles, and Anasta already drifting into sleep in the soft chair. 

Lothose finished taking off his armor while Morgaine started to take hers off, neither one looked at the other for fear their full-face blushes would be noticable. Finally when they both were finished Lothose got up and showed the three women his guest quarters. They were small, but cozy with a small fire, a straw mattress bed, and several small candles sitting on a end table. 

Anasta and Hipponia had already went into their own rooms and that left Lothose and Morgaine standing in the hallway. Lothose stood there looking at a symbol on one of the doors, while Morgaine stood there in the few pieces of clothing she had under her armor. "So... um, g'night." Lothose said before he began to turn and walk away. 

"Wait!" Morgaine said too quickly, "Um, where's your room?" In her mind, Morgaine was beating her head against a wall. _Where's your room?!_ she screamed at herself, _Why don't I just jump on him?_ Morgaine continued to look at her hands refusing to look at Lothose. 

Lothose was having a little trouble digesting the question as Morgaine sat and berated herself. Only in his mind the mantra of calm was running through his head. _Control. Cool. Calm. Control. Cool. Calm._ He knew his face was a mask of calm, his body was relaxed and standing straight, but his mind was raging. Less than three hours he had known this Sorceress and she had this effect on him. "Down the hall." he answered quickly before half-running and half-walking down the hall. 

"Good night." Morgaine said before she went into her own room. 

To be continued... 


End file.
